The streets have been eerily quiet as people have been working from home or avoiding public places due to the coronavirus outbreak. Although traffic levels are hitting new lows, it doesn’t mean that pedestrians are any safer while walking or biking on the streets. In fact, recent data shows that the number of reckless drivers and high-impact automotive accidents has spiked in the last few months. With less congestion on the roads, it seems that some drivers have neglected their road safety procedures, adopting careless driving habits instead. This puts everyone around them on the road in danger, particularly pedestrians who have no way of shielding themselves.
On April 16, 2020, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association released a report detailing the rise of reckless driving across the country. Here are some of the highlights:
- Police officers have recorded cars exceeding the speed limit by 20 to 40 mph in the states of Florida and Iowa. In other parts of the country, namely Colorado, Indiana, Nebraska, and Utah, drivers have been caught speeding over 100 mph while on the highway.
- Closer to home, in New York City, over 24,000 speeding tickets were distributed daily via the city’s automated speed camera. This number has nearly doubled from previous months.
- Los Angeles was forced to reprogram its traffic lights and pedestrian signals as drivers have exceeded local speed limits by over 30 percent.
- Fewer cars on the road don’t mean less danger. Although the overall number of car accidents has decreased, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Rhode Island have seen a spike in severe automobile accidents and pedestrian fatalities.
- Minnesota suffers from a similar situation, where reckless driving has doubled the number of automotive accidents and resulting fatalities from the previous years.
In a time where the health and safety of our dear family, friends, neighbors, and the local community has become our top concern, it’s disheartening to see so many people ignore important everyday rules and put their fellow drivers and pedestrians in danger. As drivers, we must remember that less congestion is not an open invitation to speed, check phones, tailgate, ignore turning signals, or engage in any other types of reckless behavior. We must still stay vigilant while on the road.
As pedestrians, we must be more careful and alert than ever while walking, running, or biking outdoors. Make sure you always check for oncoming traffic, stay on the sidewalk if possible, obey all traffic laws, and, of course, maintain a distance of six feet or more!
If you do get injured while out for a walk or run, just remember that our personal injury lawyers in NJ and Philadelphia are here to help.
We care about your well-being more than anything else! We are still open and accepting new clients during this time, so don’t hesitate to call us if you’re seeking a car accident attorney in and around the Philadelphia area, or need a FREE legal consultation. Contact us today to get started!
